Tweeting to be allowed from South Australian courtrooms

As TimeBase previously reported, lawyers and journalists will now be allowed to tweet from court under new Supreme Court rules in South Australia.

On 29 August 2013, the South Australian Parliament introduced the following two new Rules, they are expected to commence on 1 October 2013:

• Supreme Court Civil Rules 2006 (Amendment No. 23) - which will make amendments to the Supreme Court Civil Rules 2006 by inserting new Rules 9A and 9B to permit electronic recording in court rooms; and
• Supreme Court Criminal Rules 2013 (Amendment No. 2) - which make amendments to the Supreme Court Criminal Rules 2013 by inserting new Rules 37 and 38, to allow recording events in court and electronic communications to and from court rooms, respectively.They will be able to use electronic devices in court to take notes, send messages and emails and conduct research.

It means journalists will be able to give immediate reports on verdicts, sentences and the outcomes of bail applications. But under the system they will be required to delay any reporting of evidence or submissions for 15 minutes, in case something needs to be suppressed.

Chief Justice Kourakis has been keen to allow tweeting from SA courts, a protocol already allowed in some other states, and says the technological changes will take effect from October 2013, with a chance more changes will follow.

NSW has released social media prohibitions, instead of allowing social media and electronic devices in the courtroom like SA in amendments to the Court Security Act 2005 (No. 1) which prohibits unauthorised transmissions including social media like Twitter and Facebook in Section 9A.

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Tweeting to be allowed from South Australian courtrooms (ABC website)